There is a difference! After looking back at Saturday's game that's where we are IMHO! These kids are all young, they do not know exactly what it takes to win at this level yet. There is NO senior leadership that knows how to win to show them. That's what senior leadership is. These guys are one to two years out of high school, where they didn't have to put the effort into winning that they have to put in now. In HS they could take a play or two off and still dominate. That's impossible now. They (the players themselves) have to figure this out. Coaching can only get them so far. Kind of like when you deal with your own kids, you tell them to do something one way but they do it another. Then realize later that their parents were right in the first place. Patience my friends, these kids will figure it out and will be awesome!
I think OV means its more of they don't know what it takes to win games like UF on the road yet. Its not that they quit or didn't give the effort as much as they kinda froze up when UF scored the first TD and Hunter gets hurt the next series. They will learn something new every week, if they don't we're in trouble.
You either have experienced leaders or you don't, if you don't that doesn't get fixed at practice tomorrow.
It's their mindset. They're good athletes but lack that "killer instinct" that is required at this level. They haven't truly learned how to push themselves yet. This takes age. I can speak from experience here. There is a learning curve that must take place between HS and D1. It's light years apart. I watched Cam Newton try to figure this out Sunday afternoon. He seemed confused at times because things didn't happen for him in certain situations like they did when he was at auburn. Much faster game. It's not an attack on any of the players, it's just what naturally occurs. It's why you don't see many true freshmen come into a program and become stars. The ones that do, are at a different maturity level.
I don't think letting a running back get a dump-off route and then take it 80 yards to the house is a sign of "lacking killer instinct". It tells me they had good downfield coverage, good pressure on the QB, and someone missed their assignment (maybe Johnson, maybe Maggitt, who knows). The Vols were in the game, but made one or two critical mistakes, lost their best player early on, and then figured it out too late how to attack Florida's D. It was a frustrating loss, but I don't really think one we can contribute to lack of composure or killer instinct. Last year's UGA loss? Lack of composure. But I don't think this one.
IMO from the time Hunter went out til somewhere in the middle to late part of the 2nd quarter we lost composure or focus whatever you prefer calling it. Once they settled in both sides of the ball seemed to loosen up and play better.
UF still took the opening drive and made our defense look silly before Hunter even stepped on the field.
The announcers felt it was Johnson, and it sure appeared to be on the replay. There was motion before the snap and he didn't switch to cover the other back.
Not that it makes a difference now, but that is why if given the chance Id have took the ball and threw the first punch. We didn't get the chance and UF did exactly what I would have done. Took the ball.
Agreed. There was some debate in the thread about the coin toss. I think the reasoning of those of us who wanted the ball first was born out in how the game unfolded.
There's not really a right or wrong on taking the ball, its more about making a statement and setting the tone. UF has set the tone for several years and we've been fighting to get back in the game. This year was no different.
I'm just saying, you have to play on both sides. The coin toss shouldn't really give an edge to either team.
Im not saying the game is won or lost with the coin toss, but we have played from behind against UF for the majority of the current losing streak we have. I put my strength on the field first. For UT thats O. Now If Im at LSU. We take it in the second half.
